George says scoring 'not my knack' amid criticism, nickname jokes
The Los Angeles Clippers hold a 2-1 series lead over the banged-up Dallas Mavericks, but Paul George continues to take flack for his shooting woes.
In particular, the 30-year-old's nickname, "Playoff P," has been a target for derision.
"Kawhi (Leonard)'s being a leader," Charles Barkley said during Friday's broadcast. "He's like, 'Y'all guys get on my back.' 'Playoff P' can't keep getting no passes.
"You can't be calling yourself 'Playoff P' and lose all the time. You don't see me walking around saying, 'Hey, I won the championship,' and I didn't win it. They don't me call me 'Championship Chuck.'"
George has averaged 17.3 points in 35.6 minutes in the first-round series, down from 21.5 points in just under 30 minutes per game during the regular season. The six-time All-Star has shot just 30.9% from the floor and 24.1% from beyond the arc versus the Mavericks so far.
He said, however, that his impact on the game goes well beyond scoring.
"I'm no James Harden," George said postgame, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "That's not my knack ... to just shoot the ball, score the ball. I can and I pride myself on being effective on both ends. But there's going to be nights like this where I just can't make a shot, and I can't allow that to affect my game."
George has also contributed seven rebounds, four assists, and 1.3 steals per contest. In terms of advanced metrics, the Clippers have been outscored by 0.1 points per 100 possessions with George on the floor but have posted a minus-3.2 net rating with him on the bench.
"I try to do everything, I try to play the game the right way and just get lost in the game and try to pass the ball and make plays defensively, rebound," George said. "Just a little bit of everything.
"I am going through a tough time, but good thing about it, we are up 2-1 in this series and I haven't shot the ball well."